Rookie McCaw leads way in Warriors’ OT victory

Updated 11:50 pm, Friday, October 14, 2016

Photo: David Zalubowski, Associated Press

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry passes the ball on a fast break against the Denver Nuggets in the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Friday, Oct. 14, 2016, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) less

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry passes the ball on a fast break against the Denver Nuggets in the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Friday, Oct. 14, 2016, in Denver. (AP Photo/David ... more

Photo: David Zalubowski, Associated Press

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Golden State Warriors surround guard Patrick McCaw, fourth from left, after he hit the winning basket against the Denver Nuggets as time ran out in overtime of an NBA preseason basketball game Friday, Oct. 14, 2016, in Denver. The Warriors won 129-128. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) less

Golden State Warriors surround guard Patrick McCaw, fourth from left, after he hit the winning basket against the Denver Nuggets as time ran out in overtime of an NBA preseason basketball game Friday, Oct. 14, ... more

Photo: David Zalubowski, Associated Press

Rookie McCaw leads way in Warriors’ OT victory

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DENVER — Patrick McCaw sat at his locker Friday night, thumbing through his iPhone with a smile, when the NBA superstar he has long idolized sauntered toward him.

Sensing the sarcasm in his new teammate’s voice, McCaw chuckled and set down his iPhone. A scrum of reporters was gathered around him. In the Warriors’ 129-128 victory over the Nuggets, McCaw had hit a last-second three-pointer to force overtime and, ultimately, win the game.

It was the most captivating feat in what has been a memorable preseason for the rookie guard. Four months after he fell to the 38th pick of the NBA draft, McCaw is making a strong case for a rotation spot on a team stocked with All-Stars.

“I don’t know how many games I’ve ever seen in my life where a guy hits the game-tying three in regulation, then the game-winner at the buzzer,” said head coach Steve Kerr, who has been around the NBA for nearly three decades. “That doesn’t happen. This guy’s a rookie, a second-round pick, and there’s something about him.”

After tracking McCaw’s sophomore season at UNLV, the Warriors’ front office prized the rail-thin playmaker enough to trade $2.4 million to Milwaukee for his rights. It was his intangibles — court awareness, calmness under pressure, understated demeanor — that impressed general manager Bob Myers more than any scoring line.

With his team down big in the fourth quarter Friday, McCaw helped power a 19-7 run that put the Warriors within striking distance late. Kerr called for time and reviewed all the plausible scenarios.

When guard Cameron Jones rebounded his own miss, he saw McCaw open behind the arc. His three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left silenced the Pepsi Center crowd of 10,104.

“We kind of drew it up like that,” Jones said of the play. “He came up on the screen, and I hit him. Patrick’s a hell of a player, and he’s been hitting big shots all preseason. Someone has to make up a nickname for him. ‘Big Shot Pat’ or something.”

McCaw shot 4-for-4 in overtime, accounting for 10 of Golden State’s 16 points. With the clock winding down, he knifed through the key and lofted a floater over the outstretched arms of two defenders. Warriors regulars erupted off the bench and embraced McCaw near midcourt.

“I’ve never been that guy in the spotlight,” said McCaw, who finished with 18 points, six rebounds and two assists. “Having the confidence from my teammates, the older guys, they’ve always been on me, from the start of training camp until now. It’s been making the game a lot easier for me.”

In the Warriors’ postgame locker room, Durant showed McCaw a video of his winning shot. Minutes later, when the seven-time NBA All-Star ribbed him for reveling in his big moment, McCaw was actually reading a group chat on his iPhone.

The game hadn’t been televised, but his close friends still followed along.

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